Method and system for providing a return path for signals generated by legacy video service terminals in an optical network

Abstract

A return path system includes inserting RF packets between regular upstream data packets, where the data packets are generated by communication devices such as a computer or internet telephone. The RF packets can be derived from analog RF signals that are produced by legacy video service terminals. At a data service hub, a digitized-RF-to-packet converter (DRPC) can convert the RF packets into standard sized packets such as Ethernet packets for processing by a video services controller. In this way, the present invention can provide an RF return path for legacy terminals that shares a return path for regular data packets in an optical network architecture.

1. A return path of an optical network system comprising:
 a video services controller for generating downstream analog RF modulated video service control signals that are converted to the optical domain, the video services controller being disposed at a first site; and 
 a device for converting digitized, upstream, RF return packets to standard sized digital packets, the RF return packets comprising data derived from digitized and compressed upstream analog RF modulated video service control signals, the video service control signals comprising one or more commands for managing video prorammin that is displayable on a display device, the device comprising a scaling restoration unit for restoring information from compressed data contained within the RF return packets, the device being coupled to the video services controller, the device decompressing, restoring, and demodulating the upstream analog RF modulated video service control signals from the data contained within the RF return packets, the device further comprising a packet encapsulator for formatting the demodulated video service control signals into standard sized digital packets that are processed by the video services controller for managing video programming. 
 
     
     
       2. The return path of  claim 1 , further comprising a switch for separating upstream digitized RF packets from upstream data packets. 
     
     
       3. The return path of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one subscriber optical interface for receiving RF-modulated signals, for converting the RF-modulated signals to first RF packets and combining the first packets with second packets for upstream transmission towards a data service hub comprising the video services controller. 
     
     
       4. The return path of  claim 3 , wherein the subscriber optical interface further reduces a size of the first packets. 
     
     
       5. The return path of  claim 3 , wherein the subscriber optical interface comprises a data reducer for adjusting a size of the first packets. 
     
     
       6. The return path of  claim 3 , wherein the subscriber optical interface splits the first digital data packets into first and second data streams. 
     
     
       7. The return path of  claim 6 , wherein the subscriber optical interface mixes the first data stream down to a zero frequency. 
     
     
       8. The return patch of  claim 1 , further comprising one or more optical waveguides connected to a data service hub comprising the video services controller, for carrying upstream optical signals and downstream optical signals. 
     
     
       9. The return path of  claim 1 , further comprising a laser transceiver node for communicating optical signals to a data service hub comprising the video services controller, and for apportioning bandwidth between subscribers of the optical network system. 
     
     
       10. The return path of  claim 1 , further comprising a data service hub for housing the video services controller, the data service hub receiving first packets comprising the digitized RF packets the second packets comprising data other than RF modulated signals. 
     
     
       11. The return path of  claim 1 , wherein video services controller support a time division multiple access (TDMA) protocol. 
     
     
       12. A method for providing a return path for signals in an optical network system comprising the steps of:
 receiving RF-modulated video service control signals, the video service control signals comprising one or more commands for managing video programming that is displayable on a display device; 
 compressing the RF-modulated video service control signals; 
 converting the compressed, RF-modulated video service control signals to a first digital information packet comprising RF modulated information; 
 receiving a plurality of second digital information packets; 
 transmitting the first and second digital information packets by inserting the first digital information packet between the second digital information packets; 
 propagating the packets towards a data service hub; 
 receiving the first and second digital information packets at the data service hub; 
 converting the first digital information packets to third digital information packets by decompressing the RF-modulated video service control signals and restoring information from compressed data with a scaling restoration unit, and removing the RF modulation and by adding formatting information with a packet encapsulator, the third digital information packets comprising a standard packet format; 
 receiving the third packets with a video services controller; and 
 processing the third packets with the video services controller for managing video programming. 
 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 12 , wherein the step of receiving the plurality of second digital information packets, further comprises receiving the plurality of second digital information packets from one of a computer and an internet telephone. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 12 , wherein converting the first digital information packets to third digital information packets comprises converting the first digital information packets to Ethernet formatted packets. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 12 , further comprising the step of splitting the first digital data packets into first and second data streams. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 15 , further comprising the step of mixing the first data stream down to a zero frequency. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 15 , further comprising the steps of:
 determining a control word for a phased locked loop; 
 loading the control word into the phased locked to set a frequency of an oscillator. 
 
     
     
       18. A method for returning RF signals to a data service hub over an optical network comprising:
 receiving modulated RF video service control signals, the video service control signals comprising one or more commands for managing video programming that is displayable on a display device; 
 compressing the modulated RF video service control signals; 
 converting the compressed, modulated RF video service control signals into a plurality of first packets; 
 receiving a plurality of second packets; 
 combining the first packets with the second packets; 
 propagating the combined packets towards the data service hub; 
 changing a format of the first packets from a first format to a second format by decompressing the first packets and restoring information from compressed data with a scaling restoration unit, and demodulating the RF signals from the first packets and adding appropriate protocol information for the second format with a packet encapsulator; 
 feeding the first packets to a video service controller; and 
 processing the first packets with the video services controller for managing video programming. 
 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 18 , wherein the second format comprises a format based upon an Ethernet format. 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 18 , further comprising reducing the amount of data contained in the RF signals.